5 Ways to Protect Yourself from Zika Virus Now That It’s Basically Here in the U.S.

While the spread of the Zika virus this summer has been terrifying, we were at least comforted by the fact that the disease-carrying mosquitos hadn’t arrived in the U.S. That is, until now: On Friday, July 29, Florida health officials said there's a high likelihood that four cases of the mosquito-borne virus in the state were transmitted locally. Eeek.

In order to confirm this, Niket Sonpal, M.D., assistant clinical professor at Touro College of Medicine, says health officials will have to “carefully go over the patients' recent travel history, sexual exposures, and essentially recreate the last several weeks to months of their lives in order to narrow down the route by which they were exposed.”

Although the kind of scale we’ve seen in regions of South and Central America is unlikely here (we don’t have the same type of climate conditions that the Aedes aegypti mosquitos who carry the disease need to thrive), individual efforts to curtail the endemic will still be important, says Sonpal.

Now that it’s almost certain that Zika virus is here at home, here’s everything you need to know to protect yourself:

1. Use Mosquito Repellant
This is a no-brainer when it comes to keeping the bugs at bay. Make sure you’re using a safe brand approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and spray your clothing in addition to your skin. Try OFF! Deep Woods Repellant ($14, amazon.com).

2. Wear Long Sleeves and Pants
Even though it’s hot as hell, covering up is a key way to prevent mosquito bites. Wear lightweight long sleeves and pants, especially if you’re in the woods or near water where mosquitos tend to breed.

Sign up for Women's Health's new newsletter, So This Happened, to get the day’s trending stories and health studies.

3. Bug-Proof Your Home
To cut down on the potential spread of mosquitos, get rid of any standing water that might collect in buckets or pots since this is where mosquitos like to lay eggs. You can also use screens and mosquito-repellant candles to help keep the blood-suckers away. Try Cutter Citro Guard Candle ($11, amazon.com).

4. Practice Safe Sex
We do know that Zika can be transmitted via sex. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently 14 reported cases (one of these is from a female to a male) of this type of transmission in the U.S. Always, always, always practice safe sex.

5. Consider Your Pregnancy Plans
If you’re thinking of getting knocked up, you may want to hold off or rethink your timeline. Talk to your doc to weigh your options. Zika virus is most worrisome for pregnant women, as it can lead to severe birth defects.

Macaela MackenzieMacaela Mackenzie is a freelance journalist specializing in health, culture, and tech, and she regularly contributes to outlets like Prevention, Women’s Health, Shape, Allure, Men’s Health, the John Hopkins Health Review, and more.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

This commenting section is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information on their web site.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Women's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.